PLASIEC planning to rule out PDP from elections, party alleges
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Plateau State has alleged that there is a grand plan by the State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) to exclude the party from the Local Government elections scheduled for October 9 this year.
The main opposition in the state said it will resist any such attempt by the electoral body to subvert justice.
Patrick Ogbu, State Caretaker
Secretary of the party made this known while addressing journalists at the party’s State Secretariat, in Jos, the State Capital.
Ogbu said, “Our primaries were peacefully and promptly organised within the timetable and guidelines released by PLASIEC.
“Curiously, PLASIEC refused to issue nomination forms to our legitimate and duly elected candidates.
According to him, “PLASIEC is relying on a purported Court Order which has no bearing whatsoever with the local government elections, or PLASIEC activities.
“PLASIEC is not a party to the case that gave rise to the said Court Order, and there is no Order or injunction from any court restraining PLASIEC from releasing nomination forms to candidates.
He, however, decried that, “It is crystal clear to us, that from our correspondences with PLASIEC, there is a grand plan by PLASIEC to exclude the PDP from participating in the Local Government elections.
“We wish to put on record straight that as a party we will resist any attempt to subvert the wheel of justice and deny our people the opportunity to participate in electing their leaders at Local Government level through legitimate and legal means.
“From the exchange of correspondence between the party and PLASIEC, it has emerged clearly that the electoral umpire has devised an agenda to unlawfully exclude PDP from the forthcoming elections”, he stressed.
Ogbu urged PLASIEC to be fair in the discharge of its mandate to all interested political parties.
The PDP chieftain urged all security operatives to take note of its concerns.
Reacting to the issues raised by the PDP, the Commissioner in charge of Electoral Operations in PLASIEC, Comrade Patrick Mamgin, said, the PDP cannot be allowed to participate in the electoral process because there is a substantive judgment, ordering the party to conduct elections in the State Executive Committee.
Mamgin also said the judgment was availed to the Commission by a faction of the party a month ago, attached to a letter it wrote informing the Commission that the then State Executives were illegally occupying their positions.
“With this scenario, you know that election is a process; there are laws and guidelines that go along with elections.
“We are constrained by this Court judgment to deal with the PDP or the Caretaker Committee”, he maintained.
Also speaking, the Secretary of PLASIEC, Barr. Ishaku Bashiri, said, “As a Commission, we are here to do the right thing, and we are guided by law in whatever we do.
“We received a letter from a faction of the PDP, dated 25th May 2021, with the caption: Notification and the need not to associate your reputable Commission with illegality and disrespect to the rule of law.
He added that the letter was attached with a judgment.
“The fourth paragraph of the Court judgment reads: An order directing the first defendant (PDP), to take all steps, actions to conduct elections for the PDP Executive Committee Members for Plateau State”, he stressed.
